Air Force removes tech sergeant from supervisory role after racially charged Facebook rant

Tech. Sgt Geraldine Lovely of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada has been removed from her supervisory role after posting a profane and racially charged video to Facebook. (Screenshot from Facebook video)

A technical sergeant at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada has been removed from her supervisory role and is now under investigation after posting a profane and racially charged video to Facebook.

Tech. Sgt. Geraldine Lovely of the 99th Force Support Squadron at Nellis filmed herself, in uniform, delivering an f-bomb-filled rant about the alleged attitude problems of black female airmen and noncommissioned officers under her.

“It pisses me the [expletive] off that they [black female airmen] have no [expletive] respect and constantly having an attitude,” Lovely said. “What the [expletive] is up with that? ... Why is it that every time I encounter, you know, my subordinates that are black females, they have a giant [expletive] attitude?”

Lovely appears to have broadcast it as a Facebook Live video within a secret Facebook group for Nellis airmen Friday morning. It was reposted Sunday on the unofficial Facebook page Air Force amn/nco/snco and quickly went viral.

Maj. Christina Sukach, chief of public affairs for the 99th Air Base Wing at Nellis, soon posted a comment on the reposted video. She confirmed to Air Force Times that the comment was hers.

“This is inappropriate and unacceptable behavior in today’s society & especially for anyone in uniform,” Sukach wrote. “Leadership is aware and is taking appropriate action.”

OFFICIAL STATEMENT 1/:TSgt Geraldine Lovely, a member of the 99th Force Support Squadron, has been removed from her supervisory role while leadership continue to gather facts regarding this incident.

Sign up for the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup

Thanks for signing up!

Fear of missing out?

Sign up for the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup to receive the top Air Force stories every afternoon.

Thanks for signing up.

By giving us your email, you are opting in to the Air Force Times Daily News Roundup.

“Leadership are exploring disciplinary actions and are checking to see if this is a broader issue on the base,” Sukach said. “While the actions of this individual are inappropriate and unacceptable, we are using this unfortunate situation to continue a dialogue with our airmen about the topic of good order and discipline, as well as adherence to the Air Force core values.”

Maj. Gen. Peter Gersten, commander of the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center at Nellis, issued a stern memo Monday calling Lovely’s video “unprofessional” and stressing that such behavior is unacceptable.

“Yesterday, one of our fellow airmen decided to part with our core values and posted an unprofessional video which has no place in our Air Force,” Gersten said in the memo, which Nellis posted on Twitter Tuesday. “A decision by one airman has detracted from the Air Force’s proud 71 year history of breaking cultural barriers and has caused airmen to hurt, lose faith and be distracted from the mission.”

“Let me be completely clear when I say that any type of activity that disparages anyone because of their race, religion, gender or sexual orientation will not be tolerated,” Gersten continued. “Toxic workplaces and toxic leaders will not be tolerated. Teamwork, grit and getting it done through integrity, service and excellence is the Air Force way. Anything less is unacceptable and shortchanges our core values.”

Official Statement on Facebook video from U.S. Air Force Warfare Center Commander Major General Peter Gersten. pic.twitter.com/vrt1NgBWtr

Air Force Times contacted Lovely through her Facebook page to request a comment Monday. She said she would like to share her side of the story but needed to check with her area defense counsel before speaking to the press. She has not sent any further messages.

Recommended for you

Around The Web

Comments

Most Watched Videos

With National Guardsman deployed around the White House amid protests over the killing of George Floyd, top Dept. of Defense officials went into the streets on June 1 to meet with troops on duty in the city.